The Labor enquirer., 1887-10-01
WORKING HARD.
Counsel for the Defense in the
Great Ca Q Determined
to Win.
Captain Black Talks Of the Methods
That Were Used to Convict
the "Aharchists."

the "Aharchists."
New York Star.
A reporter of the Star called on
General Prior, the eminent crimi-
nal lawyer who has been engaged
by the defense in the anarchist
case. In reply to question re-
garding the course counsel for the
defense intended pursuing, Gen.
Prior said:
Whatever doubts may have
had as to the justice of our course
or the prospects of our final tri-
umph, are now entirely removed.
We will win because we ought to
win, and matters will be pushed
forward as speedily as possible"
The plan of procedure agreed
upon by the legal gentleman is to
make application for the granting.
of a stay of proceedings upon
writ of error to justice of the
United States supreme court. The
defense have the right to select
any justice and to ask him to pass
upon the points presented at any
time. If the application is sue
cessful the case will be heard by
the full supreme court, which may
order a reversal of the findings of
the Illinois supreme court. In the
event of this contingency the case
will go back to the first trial court
to be heard over again.
Ia order to get the case into the
federal courts at ali it will be nee
essary to show that the Illinois
courts have in some way mate
rally ignored the privileges to
which the condemned anarchists
are entitled under the constitution
of the United States. General
Prior says the defense will have
no difficulty in establishing that
fact, but declined for the present
to indicate the specific points up
on which the defense will rely, or
thes judge to whom application
will be made.
Nothing can be done until the
record of the case has been trans
scribed for the use of the court.
There are thirty-fve books in all,
comprising 100000 words, and
the copying will occupy at | east
month. In the meantime c ounsel
will improve the opportunity to
perfect their plans and Prepare
their briefs. If they succeed in
getting a stay, it is not probable
that the case will come up in full
court before late in the spring.
Captain Black, who is tall,
graceful and of distinguished ap-
pearance, spoke very freely upon
the general aspects of the case
when questioned yesterday.
What we ask" he said "is JUS
tice. We have so far got every
thing but that. These men were
not condemned for murder. They
were tried and condemned for be-
ing anarchists. will quote you
a single sentence of the district
attorneys summing up, which
tells the tale:
Don't try, gentlemen, to shirk
the issues; war is on trial, anarchy
is on trial. the defendants are on
trial for murder and treason. 4
The jury was selected entirely
from classes hostile to the class
to which the accused be-
longed. Nine of the twelve men
were forced to accept as a choice
of evils acknowledged their pref
udices before going into the box.
Reputable witnesses have testified
to having heard one of the jurors
remark before the trial that Spies
and the whole d. n crowd ought
to be hung The jury was pack
ed against the accused by spe-,
cial bailiff, and when we offered
to produce proof Of this fact on
appeal the court ruled us out on
technicality.
why, to show you how things
were done, one special venire was
composed almost exclusively of
bank officials and other capitalists.
A laboring man was rarely en-
countered among the talesmen
and never a member of a labor or
ganization. No more than ten of
the 1000 talesmen who were ex-
amined came from the Fourteenth
ward, which has 10000 inhabi-
tants, largely of the working class. >